We’ve already heard about AC St. Louis’ distress off the field this season and Wednesday’s 4-2 loss at Miami has rendered it a lame duck on it, too. Miami (6-11-11), which already had been eliminated from postseason contention, scored three times in a 27-minute span starting in the 43rd minute to capture its third straight victory. What does this mean for the Rhinos?

We know the 8 teams that will be in the USSF D2 Pro League playoffs, which just don’t know the order. Well, other than to play for a job next year – if one even will exist in St. Louis (7-13-8), which is up for sale – the club has no incentive to win on Saturday in Austin (14-5-8) or at home in next Saturday’s regular-season finale against the Rhinos (15-7-6). Of course, Miami had no reason to win last night either, other than pride, and it did. Sometimes the team that’s loose has an advantage and Miami will look to make it four in a row when it plays host to Rochester on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Rhinos (51 points, 2 matches left) must win, I think, to have a shot at the No. 1 playoff seed over Austin (50 points, 3 matches left). In my opinion, Austin’s final two games, on the road at Carolina (Fri. Oct. 1) and Montreal (Sun. Oct. 3) will decide the top spot and that’s good news for Rochester because those are traditionally tough places to win. Carolina is 11-9-8; Montreal is 10-11-7.

YAWN. THANKS, USSF: This season that the USSF set up is officially too long in my opinion. Games once a week after compacting the schedule with so many all summer? The regular season dragging into October?Fans caring more about football than futbol right now? It’s a joke. I sure hope, whatever happens next season, this is rectified. The playoffs should have started in mid-September with the title game in late September or early October. The USSF really didn’t think this out, especially when you consider that few minor-league soccer franchises are profitable and this crawl-to-a-finish regular season means most owners have to keep paying their players until October.

RUSSELL CONFIRMS: Bob Russell, 47, the Rhinos’ executive vice president who joined the team in early August, is no longer with the organization, he told me today from Denver, Colo., where he is attending a family function. Rhinos owner Rob Clark offered only “no comment,” when I asked if Russell still worked for the franchise but Russell said ”We have philosophical differences and mangement styles and thought it would be best for both parties to move on.” Russell called it “mutually agreed upon.” MY TAKE: In a season with mostly good news for this franchise, this is a bummer. Russell knows what he’s doing and with his local connections as a Rochester native, experience and business acumen he would have helped the Rhinos. When asked for more details, to his credit, Russell said: “It’s not a time for distractions,” alluding to the team’s push toward first place and a playoff run.

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Jeff DiVeronica has covered professional soccer and the Rhinos for the Democrat and Chronicle since the team's inception in 1996. "Devo's Direct Kicks" takes aim mostly at Rochester soccer, but will also highlight the USL, MLS and U.S. national team play. Devo, his nickname since college at St. John Fisher, also hosts two weekly radio shows each Saturday on WHTK-AM/FM (1280/107.3 or www.whtk.com). "Kick This!" (11 a.m.) features soccer talk, while the Canandaigua National Bank High School Sports Show (noon) covers Section V sports. E-mail Jeff at jdiveron@DemocratandChronicle.com.
Or follow him on Twitter: @RocDevo